Christmas in Quarantine
by Mistystream Sootfur's Loyalty
Summary: A Zach centric oneshot set during 'Man in the Fallout Shelter'. Zach's family fly out to D.C. to visit him and chaos and hilarity are a definite. My take on what converation they had with Zach through the glass and what happened afterward. Some OC.


Christmas in Quarantine

A Zach Addy Oneshot

**A/N:** **Well I'm back with another Zach oneshot.. this one may be a little longer then the past two. I got Season One for Christmas and I watched 'Man in the Fallout Shelter' and got inspired to write another Zach story. This one is slighted more dramatic then the others. This one is about they conversations and events that took place and followed Zach being in quarantine for Christmas. You may want to read ****What do Do When You Die**** and ****You Can Drive My Car****, my other Zach oneshots. **

**Beware! OC!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bones. **

_"...40 people who love you and are happy to see you- that my friend is the true meaning of Christmas"_

_The Man in the Fallout Shelter 1x8_

Zach soon drifted off to sleep, thinking about his and Hodgins's different views on the holiday to come. He hadn't gotten around to calling his family and giving them the bad news yet- he would wait till morning. He could only imagine his mother's reactions. She would start crying and look up valley fever on the internet. When she found out in was fatal she would freak out probably have a panic attack. He made a mental note not to mention exactly what hazzardess disease he may have been infected with- best not worry them until he needed to.

He dreams about last Christmas, and many before then. Sure, it was extremely awkward to talk about his job to his family- his brothers often joked that he talked to dead people. He was practically another species then his family. Sure, his younger twin brothers looked just like him, and he did the same things as his family, but there were seperated. When you graduate college at 16, people tend to look at you differently then the average person. Some of the more gossip oriented people is his town thought he had Asperger's syndrome- a rare type of autism. If his mother ever overheard any of this she would hit the offended gossiper in the face with whatever she was holding (one time she was holding a garden shovel at the supermarket and had actually been taken in for questioning).

Zach woke up the following day feeling sore from sleeping on the ground. Hodgins is still asleep. He looks at his watch and notes that is is 5am. Zach wakes up this early all the time, but Hodgins usually won't wake for another few hours.

Unable to listen to Hodgins snoring any longer, Zach gets up and walks out into the lab, expected to find it empty. He is startled but not suprised to see Dr. Brennan examined the bones Booth had delivered. From the look of her, she has been up all night. Zach instantly feels foolish for having slept. Dr Brennan could have used his help.

He is also shocked to see that Booth is awake, doing pull ups on one of metal bars surrounding the lab. His euphoria seems to have supsided, leaving a strained and annoyed expression on the agent's face.

5am on Christmas Eve. Zach's plane had left four hours ago. He should have been ariving home just about now. His brothers were probably suiting up to go fetch the tree, and his dad was probably preparing breakfeast. Mrs. Addy would be sitting at the table, waiting for her boy to come home. Zach realizes he should have called last night and grudingly takes out his cell phone.

(The Addy house)

"Get up Mark!" Mr. Addy yelled into his eldest son's room. He waited until Mark stirred and gurmbled before advancing to the next room. "Jake, Finn- UP!" he hollered. The twins grumbled indentically to their older brother and slid out of bed.

Mr. Addy went downstairs and put a pot of coffee on. He glanced at the clock on the wall. 4:45am. They always got up early on Christmas Eve. His sons would go about with him and chop down a tree. Now all they needed was for the second oldest son, Zach to come home. His flight from D.C. had left at 1AM and should be landing soon.

Mrs. Addy came downstairs quickly and sat at the table.

"Zach not home yet?" she asked.

Mr. Addy shoke his head. "Not yet. But don't worry. His flight may have been delayed. That was one wicked storm last night."

Mrs. Addy nodded in agreement and poured some coffee. Mr. Addy knew that she would not leave the table until Zach came threw the door.

"Boys! Are you awake?"

Answering grumbles of 'yes' assured Mr. Addy. Mark, Jake, and Finn were all home from school for the holidays. Mark was studying to be an engineer, a bit like Zach. Jake and Finn were both starters on the college football team, a fact which Mr. Addy couldn't be prouder of. Jake wanted to be an architect and Finn was studying history, not sure of what he wanted to do.

The three boys soon came downstairs. Mr. Addy passed them cups of coffee, which they coveted and took seats at the table with their mother.

"When's Zach coming home?" Jake asked.

"He should be here soon." Mrs. Addy said, looking up from the morning paper.

The phone rang. Mr. Addy glanced at the caller ID before answering.

"Thats him now. He's probably just landed." he declared happily. He picked up the phone. "Zach! The coffee's hot and the eggs are nearly done!" A large smile was on his face. The smile suddently faltered.

"What do you mean?" was followed by "Like a quarantine?" and a "But its Christmas" and finished with a "We will definitely be there."

"Ed!" Mrs. Addy said as she hung up the phone. "What is it? Whats wrong?"

Mr. Addy looked soothingly at his wife. "Gather up the Addys. Were going to D.C."

(Back at the lab)

Zach was very thankful that it had been his father who had picked up the phone. If it was his mother everything would have sounded ten times worse. If it was any of his brothers, they would accuse him of lying and ask him who the girl was that he wanted to stay home for.

The drew on slowly. He helped Dr. Brennan with the murder victim- whom Booth soo cristened 'Careful Lionel.' The case delved further on and soon everyone was decorated the lab for Christmas. After Booth's big secret is revealed, Zach gets inspiration for his secret santa gift. He'll give Booth that stupid robot of his and work on a new prototype when he gets the time.

Soon they are all eating dinner, and Zach feels pretty much at home. They talk about their differnet religious beliefs, as well as the case they are working on. After Brennan's comment on Booth's child, the room gets silent and Zach saerches for something to say. Soon the announcement comes that visited time has come. Zach can't wait to see his family.

(Back to the Addy's)

40 Addy's were packed and at the airport within twenty minutes after Mr. Addy hung up the phone. Mrs. Addy was making a list of questions to ask Zach and searching the internet about quaratines. Mark, Jake, and Finn were asking any of the younger cousins if they wanted in on the poker game they were planning for the plane.

And so they boarded the plane. All 40 Addy had managed to find seats on the same plane, with twenty minutes before the flight was scheduled to depart. This fate may have seemed impossible for any other family, but then again, they didn't have Mrs. Addy.

Zach's mom had marched right up to the ticket desk and demanded 40 tickets on the next plane to Washington D.C.

"Our next flight leaves in twenty minutes." the receptionist said. "There's probably not enough room, so how about one ate 5:30 tonight?"

"_Probably_? _Probably _not enough room?" Mrs. Addy shrieked. "I'm not going to wait an other 12 hours because there 'probably' isn't enough room!"

Mr. Addy tried to step in at this point, but Mrs. Addy only shook him away. Mark, Jake, and Finn cheered their mother on from along side. Mrs. Addy's sisters whispered in a cluster, while Zach's grandparents pretended not to recognize them.

The repceptionist looked close to tears by the time the Addy's left her, all forty of them clutching tickets for the 6am flight to Washington D.C., which was leaving in precisely seven minutes.

"You know we can't visit Zach until 8:00pm." Mark told his mother. "We could have taken the 5:30 flight."

"We could have." Mrs. Addy agreed. "But I didn't like that recpetionist. What was her name again Ed?" she turned to her husband.

Mr. Addy coughed slightly. "Err.. Melinda. Melinda Yusto."

Mrs. Addy took out her laptop and turned it on, muttering to herself as she did. Mr. Addy saw her go on to and type in the receptionist's name.

_Thats my mom._ Finn thought as he noticed this. _At least we'll have something interseting to tell Zach._

As he was thinking this, Jake set out a Full House. Finn, Mark, and their cousins all groaned. Jake victoriously took a large amount of chips from the pile.

(Back at the Lab)

Zach watched as one by one, his colleagues went to visit their family members. He would be slightly embaressed when they saw his family. Most of them only had one or two visitors. Brennan didn't even have any. But Zach had.. forty.

Agent Booth was pacing around the glass doors, peering down the corridor. Soon a vast smile appeared on his face. Zach recgonized Sid, the man from Wong Foo's, and with him was a boy of about four or five with flappy, dusty hair.

Booth went down on his knees and adjusted the ear piece he needed for communication. The little boys smiled at his father and Zach watched as they exchanged a pleasant conversation. Towards the end, Booth placed his hand on the glass and the little boy did the same thing. Zach watched and smiled. Sid nodded and exchanged a quick goodbye with Booth and soon the pair were gone.

A few minutes later, forty figures were rushing infront of the glass. Zach smiled to himself and walked towards his family.

Even through the heavy-security glass, the entire lab could here the loud yell of 'ZACH!' that echoed from all forty Addys.

(The Addy's Again!)

When the flight attend announced that the plane was preparing for landing, Jake's luck had improved big time. Finn had folded an hour an half ago. Cousin Sara had given up forty five minutes ago, along with her sister. The only ones left in the game were Mark, Jake, and thier older cousin Jayme.

"Alright, last draw. Let's wrap this up." Mark said.

"Or you could just cough up now." Jake said confidently.

The plane landed with a very smug Jayme and a very disappointed Jake.

They exited the airport with only minor difficulties (security seemed to think Mrs. Addy was a danger to the country). They then went to get bus tickets to the Jeffersonian.

"I need forty tickets." Mrs. Addy said sternly.

"You'll probably have to wait for the next bus." the ticket man said.

_Tom Rewdly_ Finn read off the man's uniform. _I wonder if he's on Google._

Mrs. Addy ranted about 'probably' some more and sure enough, two minutes later, all forty Addys were sitting comfortabley in the bus.

(Everyone)

"Zach!"

"Hey Zach!"

"How are you Zach?"

"I just killed Jake at poker Zach!"

"You cheated!"

Voices and greeting surrounded Zach and he laughed warmly with his family. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the rest of the team up in the lab watching. Booth was smiling, Hodgins looked bored, Brennan was focussed on the Bones, and Angela looked intruiged.

"How are you everyone? Did you have a nice flight?" Zach asked.

"Oh yes it was wonderful-" Mr. Addy started, only to be interupted yet again by Mrs. Addy.

"How are _you _Zach? Do you feel alright? When will we know if you're sick? Do you already know if you're sick?" Mrs. Addy asked many questions and left Zach with no time to answer. He waited paitently for her to finish- he knew that she already had answers to all of her questions and soon she would let him speak.

"Whats new with you guys? How's school going?" Zach asked his brothers.

Mark grinned at his younger brother. "I graduate in the spring. You'd better be there."

"I definitely will." Zach promised.

"Did you see these to on TV?" Mr. Addy asked, placing his arms proudly on Jake and Finn's shoulders.

"Yeah I did. You guys are great. That game we went to was awesome." Zach smiled at his little brothers.

"Any closer to getting that docotorate?" Jake is.

"About as close as you are to winning that poker game."

"So not so close then." Jayme smirked. Jake punched her affectionatley on the arm.

"You should have seen mom at the airport! The security guards thought she was a threat to the safety of the country!" Finn said excitedly.

"They did not!" Mrs. Addy protested.

Zach could picture the scene in his head. "How'd she get out?"

"I told them my boy was quarantined and that I would infect him if he didn't let me go."

"Mom!" Zach said in shock.

"It worked too!" Mark said, laughing.

"Thank god it was a young fellow." Zach's grandmother said in relief. "I thought they were going to arrest her!"

"She's too stubborn to get arrested." Mr. Addy said fondly.

Zach and his family had a pleasant reunion for nearly an hour. It was only when Hodgins complained loudly that his 'visitor' was still waiting that Zach realized it was time to say goodbye.

Remembering what Booth had done, Zach placed his hand even with his mother's and smiled sadly at her. He moved in silenced and exchanged this goodbye with the other 39 members of his family. His youngest cousion, 6 year old Brenna, jumped up to smack her hand agaisnt the glass. He reached his brothers. Mark smiled at him and nodded his head. Jake said that if he was able to he'd be messing up Zach's hair right now. Finn asked if he knew Angela's number before laughing in farewell.

And then they were gone.

Hodgins ran over and clapped Zach on the shoulder before hurrying to the glass. Zach rolled his eyes at him and went to join Dr. Brennan and the others in the lab.

"You've got a big family." Angela said. Suddently she smiled and gave a little wave. Zach turned and saw Finn peering at Angela stupidly through the glass. A hand that Zach thought belonged to Mark conked his brother on the head. The pair waved goodbye and then Mark pulled Finn away. Finn flashed Angela a 'call me'. Mark yanked his brother away.

"Stupid Finn." Zach muttered under his breath.

"It was kinda sweet." Angela said. She turned and smiled mischeviously at Zach. "Are you gonna give me his number?"

Zach shook his head at Angela and went over to help doctor Brennan with 'Careful Lionel.'

(The Addys For the Last Time (maybe))

The bus ride to the hotel was in silence. Finn was caressing his phone, wondering if Angela was going to call. Jake was reading a book titled 'Poker for Idiots'. Jayme was counted her winnings. Mark was on his laptop, writing and email to his fiancee. Mrs. Addy was starring silent out the window, watching the snow fall thickly to the ground.

"That was a nice visit." Mr. Addy said to her. Mrs. Addy starred for another few moments before turning and patting her husband's hand.

"It was. He looked happy." Mrs. Addy replied.

"He's a good kid. He'll be fine." Mr. Addy assured. Mrs. Addy smiled. "This time tomorrow, we'll be sitting in the hotel room with him, celebrating Christmas."

Then they got to the hotel. Mrs. Addy once again strode to the desk with her head held high. Mr. Addy sighed in exaustion and followed his wife, knowing only too well how this conversation would end.

"I'm sorry, but there probably won't be enough room."

_Oh boy..._

(Back to Zach... that rhymed!)

"You're free to go."

The words echoed in Zach's head for a split second before reality kicked in.

Booth clapped his hands together and leapt at once for the exit. Hodgins and Angela exchanged grins and followed him. Zach gave Dr. Brennan a side a long glance before he too scurried to the exit.

The crisp Decemeber met him in a rush but it was never more enjoyable to Zach. Hodgins had already started the car and Zach had to run to catch him before he left. Zach wanted Hodgins to drop him off at the hotel his family was staying at. Hodgins refused, saying that he was going to the aiport. It was only after Zach to write the report Hodgins needed to give Dr. Goodman that he gave in.

Zach waved goodbye to Hodgins and was still wishing him a Merry Christmas when the car sped away the the airport. Zach smiled and laughed for a moment before entering the hotel.

"Excuse me." he said to the woman at the desk. "I'm looking for the Addys. Could you tell me what room they're in?"

The woman's face darkened. "Are you going to yell at me too?"

_Bless you Mom!_ Zach thought to himself.

After being directed to the fourth floor, Zach climbed into the elevator and took out his cell phone. Surprisingly, he still had service. Impressed, Zach dialed his mother's cell phone number and waited for three rings until she picked up.

"Hey mom, I'm just getting onto your floor-"

An explosion met his ears as the doors opened and the phone flew out of his hands. Addys came crashing out of every door on the floor. Brenna reached him first and Zach picked her up and hugged her. He ahd to hastily put her down as his mother ran over to him with tears in her eyes.

That night was one the best Christmases Zach coukd remember. There were all spared from his dad's cooking and had free range of the entire floor. Zach joined in on the poker rematch Jake had insisted on and watched as Jayme won a grand total of five hundred, seventeen dollars and sixty eight cents.

The night ended with Zach giving Finn his Christmas present.

"You'll love this Finn." Zach said, pulling out his cell phone. He dialed Angela's number and waited for her to pick up. "Hey Angela- I'd like to introduce you to my brother Finn."

Finn took the phone and he looked like he had forgotten how to talk. Mark made a move to snatch it from him and that brought him back to reality.

Zach watched his family happily, recalled that twenty four hours ago he had been exchanging greetings with them through a glass wall.

_Christmas in quarantine._ He thought to himself. _This will be a good story to tell._

And it was.

(So I lied... here are the Addy's again)

The now 41 Addys took a bus to the airport two days later. They were flying back home for the New Year. Zach was slightly upset about the week long break from his skeletons, but he kept it quiet, not wanting to spoil the mood.

"I'm telling you Jayme! I will beat you this time! I was just putting you into a false sense of security!" Jake insisted for the tenth time.

Jayme snapped and got so annoyed from his constant jibbering that she paid him four hundred dollars to be quiet. Jake got very excited and went around asking if anyone wanted to play poker while Mrs. Addy went to buy the tickets. Everyone quickly shot him down except Brenna, who returned home with four hundred dollors and a very happy father. Mark, Finn, and Zach found it hilarious that Jake had been beaten by someone who was still learning her ABC's.

Mrs. Addy once again went up to the teller and asked for forty one tickets on the next flight to Michigan.

"You'll probably have to wait for the next one." the teller said, scanning his computer.

The entire family tensed, ready for the steam to burst from Mrs. Addy's ears.

But to their shock, it never came.

Mrs. Addy simply smiled at her husband and said, "I think we can wait."

**So its finished! I hoped you liked it! Some quick notes! I looked up all the Bones characters on Wikipedia, and it said that Zach probably (ha!) had Asperger's Syndrome. It also said on another site (forgot the name sorry) that he graduated college at sixteen. I'm not sure if they're true.. but I just included them anyway. Feel free to give feedback if you can falsify or support either statement.**

**This is my third Zach installment. I'm already thinking about a fourth! This one was longer than the other three (10 pages on word!) and more dramatic but I hope you still enjoyed it. So please review and tell me what you think!**

**-Misty**


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